How I train: Monika Mittaz

In July Monika Mittaz will attempt to swim the 38km-length of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland. We spoke with Monika in the lead up to her challenge.

What are you training for this year?

This July I will attempt to swim the entire length of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland where I live. This is a 38km solo marathon swim. No one has done the entire length without a wetsuit yet, so it will be a historical swim if successful and ratified. I am swimming in support of Léman hope, which supports young people in remission from cancer in Switzerland by giving them a confidence boost through sailing and adventure.

Why do you swim and challenge yourself this way?

That is the million dollar question! I love to feel strong and powerful, both in my body and mind. Setting objectives helps me to get to the water regularly. As I train alone a lot of the time, this provides focus for each session. The training journey is perhaps more important than the actual achievement itself, which is a tiny drop in the bucket compared to what goes into it.

What attracts you to long distance/endurance swimming?

Originally a pool swimmer, long distance in the open water is simply another sport. The open water is humbling and makes me feel incredibly vulnerable; it is so much more complex for the mind and body than the pool. It is moving meditation in its purest form, connecting to the present moment and feeling deeply alive.

Where do you like to train?

As I live in an alpine country, training for any substantial distance in open water between November and April is limited. I love swimming with my Masters team, with friends down on Lake Geneva, or in the crispy loch next to my parents’ home in Scotland. I never swim alone in open water, so much of my training happens in the pool during the week when I have childcare.

How do you stay motivated when training for long distance?

Community and having a goal. But also chatting regularly with my swim friends and mentors, swapping ideas, sharing dreams, commiserating when I’m having an off day. I do love a spreadsheet, and feel a sense of satisfaction when I enter in the distance I’ve swum and see the total sum climb little by little through the year.

What has swimming taught you?

So so much. Primarily that hard work pays off. But also to listen to my body and trust he process.

What is your favourite food/ nutrition on long swims?

During my longest swim – the Lake Zurich Marathon swim – I alternated between isotonic and maltodextrin drinks, gels and ate some banana. I am still testing out different products, but haven’t found something that I crave or love. During training swims over 2 hours, I drink Sponser’s Long Energy mix, recommended by one of my mentors, and don’t feel like I could eat a house after 7km.

Do you have a favourite training drill/piece of kit?

Ohhhh yes. My swim snorkel. I use a lot of equipment during long sets because it breaks the monotony. I’ve recently gotten a new toy, the Arena Pull Kick pro, and do some sets with long floating fins, snorkel and pull kick to work on rotation and head position. I also love water polo drill as my catch feels amazing after a little of that.

What is the biggest mistake you have made with a swim?

I commonly make the same mistake in open water races. I start out kicking way too hard, and my hip flexors give out pretty quickly and basically can’t kick much for the remainder of the swim. I am working on strengthening my hip flexors and core in general, but simply need to remember I am not that great of a kicker, and just need to relax my legs.

Your best advice for those training/wanting to do a long swim?

Build up volume gradually. You don’t need to come from a competitive swimming background to do big things. Working on technique and incorporating speed work are both essential parts of training. You can do a lot more on the day of a challenge than you think you can. Showing up uninjured and rested is as important if not more so than the volume put in.

Follow Monika’s swim adventures on Instagram: @monikas_big_swims